Contents
Hello dear blog readers! Today we will look at what lateral thinking is, as well as how it is useful and in what situations it can come in handy.
Some theory
Laterality is one of the varieties of creative thinking, which allows you to look at the complexity or any situation from a completely unusual angle. At the same time, it excludes the presence of an algorithm of actions and eliminates the usual stereotypes and patterns.
A person can think in absolutely any direction, and even if he makes a mistake, this will not negatively affect the result, since subsequent decisions can correct the situation. Which is very different from step-by-step instructions and logical reflections, where, due to the slightest flaw, the entire planned system of actions can collapse.
By the way, brainstorming was based on this kind of thinking. And what is most interesting, this method may well be combined with logic. The term itself was coined by the famous psychologist Edward de Bono in the late 1960s. He «managed» to systematize creativity, and also proved that creativity is a very important characteristic for a person who wants to develop and achieve success, and necessary for self-organizing information systems.
Ideas of Edward de Bono
- Edward believes that stereotypes, in addition to allowing a person to navigate and determine the necessary course of action, also limit a person. For example, it is enough to get poisoned with ice cream just once to stop buying it altogether. The so-called experience gained is great for maintaining integrity and security, but a person is able to simply stop checking how some pattern matches reality in a given situation in the future. Maybe he stopped working, and the person is in fantasy and is afraid to take risks to check.
- Vertical thinking, that is, the above patterns, eventually kills the ability to think creatively, as well as invent something new. Which, by the way, is very “stopping” when solving problems. Remember the expression «step on a rake»? So, if you often have situations similar to each other in your life, then it’s time to change the approach to solving them.
- Bono gave an example to explain how his method works. Let’s say you are in a sandbox and you have a watering can. So, if you start pouring water on the sand, in the same place, then at first it will spread a little, after which it will make a hole in which it will collect, forming a kind of well. Now let’s draw an analogy with the process of thinking about something in a person. Water is information coming from outside, sand is our brain, and the resulting well is a stereotype. And that’s just the laterality — the ability to make grooves to release water on the sides, until the hole (stereotype) deepened even more, which would mean giving it stability.
- Its use in everyday life is necessary, like the reverse gear of a car, without which you can’t get out of a garage or a dead end. Knowing how to take back, you will not drive like that all the time, will you? But if you do not learn, then using the machine will not be easy at all.
- A person who is used to being guided by patterns in his thoughts is not able to create and invent something new.
Development Methods
“6 hats”
The most famous and popular is the “6 hats” method, thanks to which all the ideas that have arisen may well coexist without denying each other and without contradicting. To do this, you need to imagine that when thinking about a problem, in order to bring the solution closer, you alternately change the hats that are responsible for a certain area and approach to mental activity. It can be used collectively, giving each member a specific role.
So, the decryption itself:
- White — information and «dry» arguments, arguments, theory.
Red — sensitivity (responsible for any, even the slightest sensations and emotions)
Yellow is optimism, with the help of which advantages and resources are discovered.
Black — criticism, shortcomings and weaknesses.
Green — generating new and «fresh» ideas.
Blue — summing up, as well as the designation of the «zone of proximal development».
By the way, Walt Disney came up with something similar, referring to subpersonalities within himself, or giving the staff the necessary functions, he could consider any case and problem from different angles in order to identify weaknesses and prospects. You can learn more in the article «Two very cool tricks to achieve your goal.»
creative pause
That is, the opportunity to take a break or switch to another task in order to return with renewed vigor to the study and search for a way out of the current situation, if insight did not arise during the rest. Do you remember what insight is? This is an insight, an unexpected understanding of the problem at a time when you are dealing with completely different issues and affairs.
After all, even if we switched to solving problems that are not related to the problem that has arisen, the subconscious mind still continues to search for ways, even when you sleep. Therefore, in order not to experience excessive stress and not drive yourself into a dead end, defuse the situation with completely different activities.
Alternative
That is, the readiness of a person to stop even at the moment when it seems that he has come up with an ideal way out, and to think more about possible options. This method will not allow you to get hung up on one thing and «stiff», excluding the emergence of «non-working» stereotypes. Over time, you will automatically continue to look for possible optimal solutions, not stopping in thought processes, but improving and developing.
Exercises and recommendations
Stereotyping and extra experience
The most basic problem that causes disturbances in the ability to think creatively and generate new ideas is the overgrown layer of criticism that a person exposes himself to. Why, the more experienced and mature a person becomes, the more stupid, no matter how paradoxical it may be. Bono even conducted a series of experiments where he showed adults and children the same drawing, offering to tell about all the options and associations that arise in response to it. Look closely, what does it remind you of? Connect your imagination, remember that there are no right and wrong answers, each of them has the right to life.
How much did you get? So, according to Bono’s results, it turned out that children can name up to 40 options, while adults can’t even 10. And all because they “attached” to the geometric figure itself, treating it as a geometry template, after all taught at school. Now imagine how much we lose in life, due to limited views, because we have learned to evaluate our actions, and have developed a whole bunch of standards.
Therefore, get rid of the inner critic, expand your inner boundaries, and then more opportunities await you, because you can at least notice them. Try and come up with all 40 or even more options for what this figure looks like.
«Insanely stupid»
Try to come up with crazy and stupid ideas on purpose. So we saw a picture in a magazine, and sketched out a couple of options about what and how is happening on it. Just not obvious that, say, a girl is lying on a sun lounger, relaxing and sunbathing. Maybe she passed out because she was escaping from a school of wild little fish, and got out of the pool completely exhausted? When you learn not to feel shame and guilt for stupid things, but on the contrary — pleasure, consider that the first steps towards creativity were a success.
«Danetki»
How to develop creativity invisibly, playing and having fun? Yes, easily, with the help of «danetok». These are such puzzles that teach to formulate and ask questions, moreover, so that they do not dry out. You can play both online and with friends, which will greatly defuse the situation and set you up in a fun way. The conditions are simple, you need to ask in such a way that a closed answer follows, that is, only “yes” or “no”.
The internet is full of tasks. Let me give you an example: “One woman, before going to bed, hid her shoe in a safe. Why did she do that?» And with the help of questions, try to get to the truth, it really captivates and develops.
Experiment
Stability is good, but if you notice that it interferes in some way, take risks and act differently, then the consequences will not be the same as usual. For example, after several unsuccessful romances, a woman came to the conclusion that «all men are the same.» Familiar pattern, huh? Only, if you think about it, they were somewhat similar, let’s say, an addiction to entertainment. And now, living with this stereotype, she will unconsciously choose exactly those men who correspond to him, making sure, each time, that she is right.
Question any information
This will help your imagination sketch out options to explain the suspicions. And by the way, this is one of the methods of deduction, which you can read more about in the article «How to learn the basics of the Sherlock Holmes deductive method.» And this again confirms that laterality also includes logic.
On-line simulators for the development of thinking.
There is a very interesting site. Wiki, it presents many interesting puzzles in the thinking section. Look, it is very convenient to spend time at a computer or phone for the benefit of yourself.
Conclusion
And that’s all for today, dear readers! And do not forget that it is important to develop both halves of the brain in order to achieve harmony in your development. The best methods and methods are described in the article «The main functions of the right hemisphere of the brain and exercises for its development.» Good luck and success on the path of self-development!